|
Sittingbourne Northern Relief Road (SNRR), in the north
east quadrant of Sittingbourne, connects two sections of road built
by developers; the section between Grovehurst Interchange on the
A249 and Ridham Avenue, and the section between Castle Road and the
East Hall Farm residential development. It includes a crossing at
Milton Creek.
It is part of the overall relief road project for Sittingbourne,
which by bypassing the town centre will bring a reduction of
traffic in the town centre and bring forward regeneration. Better
and more reliable access to the commercial and residential
developments in the north east quadrant will allow further
development.
Eventually the relief road will link the A249 and the A2,
including a route round Bapchild.
Current Situation
The basic scheme was given planning consent in September
2006.
A Compulsory Purchase Order, Side Roads Order and S106 Scheme
(to cross Milton Creek) were published in February 2007, but there
were objections to the Orders that were not resolved.
In July 2007 Kent County Council decided to promote a slight
amendment to the layout of the scheme at Ridham Avenue in order to
achieve a compromise solution.
This was submitted for planning permission in 2007 and was
approved. New Orders were published, but there were still five
statutory and many non-statutory objections, especially to the
proposal for a fixed bridge across Milton Creek.
The outstanding objections to the Orders brought about a Public
Local Inquiry. The Inquiry sat for seven days during the period
8-17 July 2008, in Swale Borough Council's Council Chamber in
Sittingbourne. At the Inquiry Kent County Council maintained that
an opening bridge was neither necessary nor cost effective, with
the objectors saying that a fixed bridge affected the possibility
of future development on, and use of, the creek. The Inquiry
Inspector prepared his report for the Secretary of State for
Transport and recommended confirmation of the Orders. The Secretary
of State confirmed them on 23 December 2008.
The programme is to start construction in September 2009 and as
part of the procurement process a Notice was placed in the Official
Journal of the European Union in January 2009, inviting contractors
to pre-qualify for tender documents. Six will be invited to tender
in April 2009. The contract should be awarded in August 2009.
In the spring and summer of 2009 there will be trapping and
relocating of protected reptiles and Great Crested Newts into new
habitats.
A detailed plan can be seen at the Kent Highway Services office
at Invicta House, Maidstone. |